Mr. Baseball: Connie Mack (1952)

[@williamfreemon3878]

Dude managed 49 seasons. That’s ungodly. Hard to even fathom. What an iron man

[@tenfourproductionsllc]

Being the owner helps with job security. Dude won 17 last place pennants, a feat even more impressive.

[@davidwhitted289]

Nobody was able to fire him as he owned the team lmao. MLB quickly banned it after he retired

[@wvu05]

Actually, he managed for 53 seasons (50 in Philadelphia, three in Pittsburgh).

[@wvu05]

@@tenfourproductionsllc For most of his career, he was the poorest owner in the MLB. If you've ever seen his house in Mt. Airy in Northwest Philadelphia, it is relatively modest. That's why he had to sell off two championship teams.

[@laiched2772]

The voice at about time 5.52 states that President Hoover attended the first game of the 1929 World Series. He did not. He attended the last (5th) game in Philadelphia. The story is that he was so excited by the A's 10-run inning in the 4th game on Saturday he asked to attend the next on Monday. He saw a walk-off win when the A's scored 3 runs in the 9th to win 3-2.

[@michaelvansant273]

Surprising they didn’t mention Eddie Plank, the great dead ball pitcher Connie Mack considered a son.

[@paulfiniello6750]

From Gettysburg college

[@tomjones5650]

My uncle pitched for the A's in the final years in Philly. Had Great Stories.

[@SarahWestFriendlyXanaduQueen]

not to mention that he also got into 2 world series appearances that the Philadelphia Athletics did lose to, in 1905 to the New York Giants in 5 games and again in 1914 to the Miracle Boston Braves, being swept in 4 games.

[@theblacksheep5226]

Nobody will ever top longevity of his managerial career. People forget he was a manager for a few years before taking Athletics job. Of course being part owner didn't hurt.

[@jcthivierge6623]

God I'd do anything to witness a game in those days. I guess my grandkids will say the same about bonds, Arod, Jeter, Big papi etc.

[@crowtservo]

I once watched Gentleman Jim Corbett fight an Eskimo fellow bare-knuckled for a hundred and thirteen rounds! Back then, of course, if the fight lasted less than fifty rounds, we demanded our nickel back!

[@christopheroliver2465]

Connie Mack was a boss!

[@jroysims44]

What a guy.

[@inoshikachokonoyarobakayar2493]

How cute, look at the underhand pitching. ❤

[@michelinman8806]

Babe Ruth would be getting shmoked today

[@TheBatugan77]

I slowed down the footage at 2:02. They appear to be playing vintage old-timer baseball. The pitcher has '1875' on his uniform. And the batter looks like he's swinging a table leg.

[@DC-nb2oj]

2:04, I never thought that pitching in baseball was ever underhanded like softball.

[@jerryking45]

Yeah was that actual period footage??? Or a re-creation from 1952?? Very curious!!

[@wvu05]

Baseball started with overhand pitching banned. Even today, you'll still find the occasional sidearm pitcher.

[@big8dog887]

@@wvu05 True, but this was no longer the case by 1910. The pitching rules haven't changed much since 1893. I'm wondering what's up with that box which appears to be well in front of the actual mound.

[@wvu05]

@@big8dog887 True. I was responding more to the "never" idea.

[@big8dog887]

@@wvu05 Yeah, I figured you probably knew that, I just thought I'd clarify for other readers who might not.

[@mariocisneros911]

CONNIE MACK WAS A SENILE OLD MAN HERE AND HIS TEAMS WERE LOSERS FOR 20 YRS. BECAUSE OF HIS SENILITY, PHILADELPHIA LOST ONE OF ITS 2 TEAMS . THE TEAM THAT WAS HISTORICALLY RICH WITH MANY CHAMPIONSHIPS

[@TheBatugan77]

You watch your mouth, son. Or you'll get a steel-toed boot jammed up your shit-chute. PUNK!

[@themaestro3034]

Was a total miser, too. Penny pinching on everything.

[@straycatttt2766]

His senility caused the A’s to lose in the 1940’s. However, it did not cause the sale of the team to Kansas City in the 1950’s. His sons Roy and Earle ran the front office in the 1950’s. The old man merely was a figurehead owner in name only by then. Roy Mack sold out the team under pressure from the NY Yankees in spite of a prospective Philadelphia group proposal to buy the team and keep them in Philadelphia.

[@tomjones5650]

All owners were cheap then. Players got paid peanuts. All had off season jobs.

[@CalvinG973]

The narrator keeps rubbing in the fact that he never got that last pennant, like OUCH!

[@TheBatugan77]

He got nine. Only McGraw and Stengel did better. He also won 5 World Series. Only McCarthy and Stengel did better.

[@jerryking45]

Just think how long he would have managed if he didn't wear a suit and tie every day. Let that sink in.

[@Frenite]

1:51

[@jameshudson169]

was that guy pitching underhanded?!

[@JohnSmith-zw8vp]

2:02 -- What the heck kind of weird pitching is that?

[@russboden5792]

alot of wacky wrong pics in this video,,,hilarious!

[@philippastore2228]

Inspirationally amusing a la that popularly pastdated "This is Your Life" TV melodrama showcase. Perhaps there is hope for Joltless Joe Biden after all.

[@big8dog887]

The title of "Mr. Baseball" would later be passed on to Bob Uecker.